MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Mulerider Women's Basketball (10-9 | 6-7 GAC) is back in action at home this week, as the Blue and Gold will take on East Central (9-8 | 5-8 GAC) and Southeastern Oklahoma State (8-11 | 5-8 GAC) this Thursday (5:30 PM) and Saturday (1:00 PM).
 
Series History vs ECU
SAU vs. ECU | 2/5 (5:30 PM)
34th meeting, ECU leads 20-13
First meeting: 11/24/1995 – ECU wins 69-57 (Durant, Okla.)
Last meeting: 1/10/2026 – ECU wins 61-56 (Ada, Okla.)
 
Series History vs SE
SAU vs. SE | 1/31 (1:00 PM)
39th meeting, SE leads 30-8
First meeting: 3/7/1979 – SE wins 58-46 (Fort Worth, Texas)
Last meeting: 1/8/2026 – SE wins 68-54 (Durant, Okla.)
 
Broadcast Information
Thursday and Saturday's games will be broadcast on the Southern Arkansas University Hudl Fan page and on 99.1 KVMZ with Dan Gregory calling all the action.
 
SAU Notables
>>> Southern Arkansas' return home is a much-needed one, as the Muleriders are coming off two tough road losses at Oklahoma Baptist and Southern Nazarene. The two contests against the Sooner State opponents will mark the final home games against groups from Oklahoma for the rest of the regular season. The games will also begin a stretch of five games in ten days for the Muleriders, following the ice delay that swept across nearly all of Arkansas and Oklahoma.
>>> The Muleriders are led in scoring by Blythe Crawley, who has accounted for 234 points thus far with an average of 12.3 points per game. Crawley still also leads the group in three-pointers made, as she has recorded 37.
>>> While Crawley leads SAU in three-pointers made, Hope Bump currently leads the unit in three-point percentage with 35.7% from beyond the arc. Bump is also second on the team in scoring with her 195 points accounted for and 10.3 ppg average.
>>> Moving on to defense, the Muleriders are led in blocks by Elena Lijo-Rodriguez with 39. Also leading the group in rebounds is Lijo-Rodriguez with 134 boards and an average of 7.1 per game. Still at the top of the steals leaderboard for Southern Arkansas and the Great American Conference (GAC) is Marlee Bright, as the senior has recorded 59 ball robberies. She is ranked 26^th nationally for steals, and her average of 3.11 steals per game ranks 27^th nationally (1^st GAC).
>>> The Mulerider offense currently ranks eighth in the GAC, averaging 64.6 points per game, while the unit's defense is 4^th in the league, averaging 63.0 points allowed per game.
 
ECU Notables
>>> The Tigers are coming off a two-game winning streak, defeating two of the league's top-five teams in Henderson State (73-65) and Ouachita Baptist (70-64) to end a three-game home streak that began with a 64-62 overtime loss against in-state rival Southeastern Oklahoma State.
>>> East Central is led in scoring by Katie Edelen (#15), as she has recorded 216 points this season and averages 12.7 per game. Edelen's scoring has primarily come from beneath the arc, as she has made just 5-of-29 shots from three, but is 77-197 from inside (39.1%).
>>> Edelen is also the team's leader in rebounds and blocks, as she has totaled 128 boards and averages 7.5 per game, while leading the Tigers with 13 blocks.
>>> The Tigers have the 11^th-ranked offense in the GAC, averaging 62.6 points per game, while boasting the seventh-ranked defense in the conference with an average of 61.2 points allowed per game.
 
SE Notables
>>> Similar to their in-state foe, the Savage Storm are on a three-game winning streak, as the unit defeated East Central (64-62 in OT), Ouachita Baptist (73-59), and Henderson State (91-67).
>>> Southeastern Oklahoma State has multiple big hitters on offense, as the unit is led in scoring by Tori Kilburn (#15), who has accounted for 370 points (2^nd GAC | 33^rd DII) this campaign with an average of 19.5 points per game (2^nd GAC | 15^th DII). Second for the Savage Storm in scoring is Kenzli Warden (#11), who has recorded 293 points so far with an average of 15.4 per game.
>>> The two have also been the team's leaders in rebounds, as Kilburn has tallied 128 boards (6.7 per game) and Warden 125 (6.76 per game).
>>> The Savage Storm ranks fifth in the GAC for scoring offense with an average of 70.2 per game, while the group's defense ranks tenth in the league, averaging 69.6 points allowed per game.
 
Follow the Muleriders
For all the latest information on Mulerider Athletics, visit MuleriderAthletics.com. To stay up-to-date, follow the Muleriders on X, Instagram, and Facebook.